Electric shoe polisher



Dec, fi, 1966 p MINTON A 3,289,231

ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER Filed March 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCRSWQJM ATTOR N EYS 9 W66 P. MINTON ETAL.

ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2, 1965 m! MWW MmMW:

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1966 3,289,231 ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER PaulMinton, Newington, and John Maslow, Broadbrook, Conn., assignors to TheIona Manufacturing Company, Inc., a corporation of Connecticut FiledMar. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 436,488 14 Claims. (Cl. 15-28) This inventionrelates to an electric shoe polisher, and more particularly it relatesto an electric shoe polisher wherein the brushing element can beselectively released.

In the customary form of electric shoe polisher, an energizable drivingmotor is provided for operating a brush element, generally in a rotarymanner. As used herein, the term brush element can be considered tocomprehend both the pad which is utilized to apply the polish and thebristled element which is utilized to buff the shoes once the polish hasbeen applied thereto. It can, of course, be broadly stated that electricshoe polishers theniselves have been well known, and various forms ofsuch shoe polishers have been proposed in the past. However, in almostall such prior electric shoe polishers, difiiculty was encountered, inone degree or another, during insertion and release of the brushelement.

The gravity of a problem such as the type mentioned above becomes moreapparent when it is recognized that during each polishing operation, aminimum of one brush element change is required. That is, the polishingpad brush element must first be inserted into the polisher and must beutilized to apply polish to the shoes being shined. Thereafter, thispolishing pad brush element must be released from the shoe polisher andthe bristled bufiing brush element must be inserted thereinto and mustbe utilized to shine the shoes to which the polish has been applied. Inprior units of this type, it was often necessary to manually lift thebrush element and to digitally insert the same into the polisher, thusgiving rise to the likelihood of soiling the operators hands. Also,prior units of this type often used magnetic clutches and other similarexpedients to retain the brush element within the polisher, and it wasthus difiicult and cumbersome to remove the same, when desired. Stillfurther, in prior units of this type, there was the ever present dangerof inadvertently turning the unit on while a brush element was beingintroduced or released, and if this occurred, the brush element would bespun out of the unit and would often contact and soil the operatorsclothing.

With the foregoing matter firmly in mind, it is, therefore, an object ofthe present invention to overcome the difficulties and deficienciesassociated with prior art units of this type, and to provide in theirstead, an improved electric shoe polisher.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric shoepolisher having an improved mechanism for selectively releasing a brushelement from the shoe polisher.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric shoepolisher having means therein to assure that the polisher cannot be setinto operation while a brush element is being released therefrom.

Further objects of the present invention include the provision of anelectric shoe polisher which: (a) is streamlined and attractive inappearance; (b) is relatively inexpensive to produce, yet is capable ofoperation for extended durations of time without undue maintenance;enables an operator to quickly and easily insert and remove a brushelement, when desired; and (d) utilizes a novel form of switching meanswhich is operative both to energize and de-energize the shoe polisherand to operate the brush element release mechanism.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description, which,taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of anelectric shoe polisher in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the electric shoe polisher, with theupper casing portion removed;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the details of thebrush element engaging and driving mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a brush element utilized in the electricshoe polisher; and,

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the drive hub utilized in the electricshoe polisher.

In general, the present invention provides an electric shoe polishergenerally designated 10 including a housing or casing generallydesignated 12, an operating motor generally designated 14 disposedwithin the casing, switch means generally designated 16, brush elementmeans generally designated 18, and means generally designated 20operable through the switch means 16 to releasably engage the brushelement 18.

The housing or casing 12 is preferably formed by mating sections,including an upper section 22 and a lower section 24 which join togetherand nest along a central parting line 26. For convenience and ease ofmanufacture, the casing members 22 and 24 may be formed of a suitableplastic material, which may be colored, as desired. The forward part ofthe casing 12 is enlarged to form a hollow central cavity 28 which canreceive the driving motor 14, while the rearward end of the casingtapers to a narrow elongated handle 30 which the operator can manuallygrip. At the terminal end of the handle portion 30, a plug 32 isprovided, and a socket 34- may be selectively mated with this plug toconnect the unit to a suitable wall outlet via an electric cord 36.

The driving motor 14 is disposed within the chamber 28 of the casing andincludes conventional elements of a direct current motor; namely, polepieces 38, an armature assembly 40 rotatably mounted within the polepieces, a field assembly 42, commutator brushes 44 and spring means 46biasing the commutator brushes: into engagement with the commutator. Thebrushes 44 and their biasing spring 46 are mounted on a rear bracketassembly 48disposed within the opening 28 to the rear of the drivingmotor 14. The bracket 48 is provided with a central aperture or bore topermit the armature shaft 50 to extend therethrough. A fan 52 is mountedat the outboard end of the armature shaft 50 to provide a cooling effecton the shoe polisher while the driving motor 14 is being operated.

The switch means 16 includes a switch plate 54 disposed within thecasing 12 and having a spring contact finger 56 mounted thereon. Thespring contact finger is connected to the plug 32 via an electrical lead58. Also provided on the switch plate 54 is a contact 60 which iselectrically connected to the field. assembly of the driving motor viaan electrical lead 62. Another electrical lead 64 connects the oppositeside of the plug 32 to the field assembly 42, thereby completing theelectric circuit for the shoe polisher 10. A slidable finger engageableswitch operating means in the form of a push button member having a flatbody portion 66 and a projecting serrated button 68 is juxtaposed to theswitch plate 54 and the spring finger 56 mounted thereon. A separateindicia bearing member 70 is juxtaposed to the switch means 16 and isnested between the upper and lower sections of the casing 12. Anaperture 72 is provided in the member 70 and the button 68 projectsthrough such aperture and is slidable therein. As can best be seen fromFIGURE 1, indicia 74 is imprinted on the member 70 beside the aperture72 therein. The switch means 16 has at least three separate operatingpositions, and as illustrated by the indicia 74, these positions can becharacterized as a first or off position, a second or on position and athird or release position. In the first position, the button 68 isdisposed centrally of the slot 72 and the spring finger 56 is out ofengagement with the contact 60 on the switch plate 54. Thus, in thisposition, the driving motor 14 is not activated or energized, and thusthe shoe polisher is in an off condition. However, when the button 68 ismoved forwardly in the slot 72, as shown in FIGURE 1, the spring finger56 is pressed into engagement with the contact 60, thereby energizingand activating the driving motor to set the shoe polisher intooperation. The third or release position is operative to release a brushelement from the shoe polisher, in a manner to presently be described.

A pair of spaced slots or openings 76 are provided at the forward end ofthe plate member 66 to receive the hooked end 78 of an actuating wire80. The actuating wire 80 couples the trigger means 16 to the brushelement drive and release mechanism 20. Broadly, the drive and releasemechanism 20 is mounted upon a front bracket assembly 82 which isattached to the lower casing member 24 by screws 84 and is furthercoupled to the forward end of the driving motor 14 by screws 86. Thefront bracket assembly 82 is formed of two separable parts 82a and 8211which are joined along a medial parting line by screws 88. The twobracket portions 82a and 82b form between them, a hollow cavity in whichthe upper portion of the brush drive assembly can be disposed. As shownin FIGURE 3, the brush drive assembly includes a hollow shaft 90 havingan axially elongated central bore 92 therein. A spur gear 94 is securedto the exterior of the shaft 90, and beneath the spur gear, a bearing 96is provided on the exterior of the shaft. The lower end of the shaft isprovided with splines 98 to cause the same to nest compactly and to bemated firmly within a drive hub 100, preferably formed of a syntheticresinous material. That portion of the drive assembly from the top ofthe drive hub 100 to the top of the shaft 90 is disposed between thebracket parts 82a and 82b, and when the screws 88 are tightened intoplace, such a drive arrangement is firmly housed in position on the shoepolisher unit. Although, for purposes of simplicity of illustration, theexact driving arrangement for the spur gear 94 is not shown in thedrawings, it will be understood that the shaft 50 from the armatureassembly 40 extends forwardly into the area of the front bracketassembly 82, and is provided at its forward end with a pinion whichmates in driving engagement with the spur gear 94. Thus, when thedriving motor 14 is actuated via the switch means 16, thereby causingthe armature assembly 40 to rotate, this rotational movement istransferred to the spur gear 94 which in turn causes the shaft 90 andthe drive hub 100 aifixed thereto, to rotate.

To accomplish the releasable engagement of a brush element 18, agenerally L-shaped lever member is provided at the front bracketassembly 82, with such lever member having an upper surface 102extending across the top of the bracket assembly and an integraldepending leg portion 104 extending downwardly along the side thereof.As can be seen in FIGURE 1, the forward end of the actuating rod or wireis connected to the depending leg portion 104 of the bracket. Anupstanding pivot stud 106 projects upwardly from the bracket half 8212through the lever portion 102 to pivotally mount the same. A circularcut-out or opening 108 is formed at the forward end of the lever 106,with the size and shape of such opening corresponding substantially tothat of the central bore 92 in the shaft 90. An upstanding cam 110projects upwardly from the bracket portion 8217 a slight distanceforwardly of the pivot stud 106, and this cam is provided with an angledflat abutment surface 112. When, as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 2,the forward flat edge of the lever 102 is in engagement with the angledabutment surface 112 on the cam, the cut-out portion 108 fully exposesthe central bore 92. However, a fulcrum spring 114 is coiled about thepivot stud 106, and is provided with an extending leg portion 116 whichextends over the rear edge of the lever 106, and pivotally biases thelever from its dotted line position to the solid line position shown inFIGURE 2, wherein the cut-out portion 108 partially overlies the opening92 in the central shaft 90.

As to the configuration of the brush element 18, attention is directedto FIGURES l, 3 and 4 wherein it can be seen that each brush elementincludes a flat plastic plate 118, an upstanding integral crown portion120, and an elongated upstanding stem 122 coupled to the plate 118, as,for instance, by having a splined lower end. The brush article shown inFIGURE 1 is the polish applying brush, and as such, includes a spongepad 124 interposed between the plate 118 and a fabric polish applyingdisc 126. The brush article in FIGURE 3 is the buffing brush, used toshine the polish applied to the users shoes, and as such, includes aplurality of bristles 128 depending from the plate member 118.

Examining the constructional features of the brush articles 18 morecarefully, it will be noted that the crown portion 120 is essentially .afrusto-conical portion, but on the exterior thereof, a pair ofoppositely directed abutments are disposed. These abutment surfaces,designated 130, are fiat surface areas disposed 180 apart, as can bestbe seen from FIGURE 4. On the upstanding stern 122, a reduced diameterportion or groove 132 is formed near the upper end thereof, and abovethe groove, an integral conical cap 134 is provided. Before discussingthe manner of coupling the brush element 18 to the shoe polisher 10,attention is directed to FIGURE 5 wherein a bottom plan view of thedrive hub is shown. The internal walls 136 of the drive hub 100 extendin a converging conical manner upwardly until they merge into anaperture 92' which communicates with the central bore 92 of the shaft90. Upon that conically tapering face 136, a pair of spaced apartabutment members or portions are integrally formed. Each abutmentportion includes an angled face 138 and a straight or fiat face 140.Again, as was the case with the fiat faces 130, the faces 40 aredisposed 180 apart.

To introduce the brush element 18 into the shoe polisher 10, the stem122 is inserted through the aperture 92' in the drive hub and throughthe aperture 92 of the hollow shaft 90. When this occurs, the brushelement can be pushed upwardly into the polisher until the abutments 130on the crown engage the wall 136 of the drive hub, whereuponsimultaneously, the abutments 138, 140 on the drive hub engage the crownportion. In such a position, the brush element may not freely be pushedfully into the polisher, because of the counter-acting eifect of thevarious abutments. However, at this time, the brush element is rotateduntil the flat abutment surfaces on the crown are in alignment with thefiat abutment surfaces on the drive hub. When this occurs, the brushelement may be inserted fully into the shoe polisher. During this finalfull insertion operation, the tapered conical head 134 at the top of thestem engages the cutout portion 108 of the lever 102, and gradually camsthe same from its solid line position of FIGURES 2 and 3 to the dottedline position thereof. Then, as the brush element becomes fully insertedand seated within the polisher, the conical head passes beyond the lever102, and the force of the fulcrum spring 116 can then cause the lever102 to pivot back to its solid line position, whereat the cut-outportion 108 engages the reduced diameter portion or groove 132 on thebrush stem. Once the brush has been engaged in this manner, the matingof the lever 102 with the groove 132 prevents any inadvertent oraccidental release of the brush element. As can be seen from FIGURE 1,beneath the driving and engagement mechanism 20, the lower casing half24 is provided with a frusto-conical projection 142 having a centralopening therein which permits access to the drive hub 100. Each of thebrush element plate members 118 is provided on its upper surface with acompatible, though slightly larger, frusto-conical recess 144 which cansurround the projection 142 when the parts are assembled, as shown indotted lines in FIGURE 1.

With the foregoing structural features of the invention having now beendescribed, attention can again :be directed to the manner of operationof the shoe polisher unit and particularly to the three positionmovement of the switch means 16 thereof. As aforementioned, when theswitch means is in its first position, the switch button 68 is alignedwith the indicia reading off and the spring finger 56 is out ofengagement with the contact 60. In this position, the driving motor 14is de-energized and the unit is at rest. This is normally the positionencountered when the unit is first removed from its casing and when thefirst brush element 18 is introduced thereinto. Once the stem 122 of thebrush element has been inserted through the aperture 92 and the brushhas been rotated until the abutment faces 130 and 140 are in alignment,an upward pushing on the brush element will cause the lever 102 to lockinto engagement with the groove 132 on the stern, thereby firmlysecuring the brush element within the shoe polisher. At this time, theswitch means is moved to its second position by moving the switchoperating means or button 68 into alignment with the indicia which readson. In this position, the spring finger 56 is pressed into engagementwith the contact 60 on the driving motor, thereby energizing the sameand causing the armature therewithin to rotate. The arm ature shaft 50likewise rotates and by way of a pinion mounted at its forward end,engages and rotates the spur gear 94. Rotation of the spur gear 94causes a simultaneous rotation of the shaft 90 and the drive hub 100affixed thereto. As the drive hub rotates, its abutment surfaces 140contact the mating abutment surfaces 130 on the crown of the brushelement, and thereby effect a simultaneous rotation of such brushelement. The rotational movement of the brush element 18 can be utilizedto apply polish to the operators shoes, or alternatively, to buff theoperators shoes, the choice depending upon which form of brush element18 is utilized.

When at last the brushing operation has been completed, and it isdesired to release the brush element from the shoe polisher unit 10, theswitch operating means is moved to its third position wherein the button68 is aligned with the indicia reading rel or release. Movement of theswitch operating means to this position again releases the spring finger56 from engagement with the contact 60, and thereby de-energizes thedriving motor 14. Simultaneously, such movement of the button 68 effectsa rearward movement upon the actuating rod or wire 80. Since thisactuating rod is connected to the leg 104 on the lever 102, suchrearward movement causes the lever 102 to pivot about the pivot stud106, even against the action of the fulcrum spring 116. This pivotalmovement of the lever continues until the lever 102 reaches the dottedline position of FIGURE 2, i.e., until the forward edge of the leverabuts against the angled abutment surface 112 of the upstanding cam 110.Such movement of the lever 102 releases the cut-out portion 108 fromengagement with the groove 132 on the brush stem, and thus permits thebrush element 18 to be freely released from the shoe polisher unit 10.Naturally, since the driving motor 14 is necessarily in a de-energizedcondition when the switch means is moved to its third or releaseposition, it is impossible to inadvertently actuate the unit duringrelease, and therefore, the possibility of having the brush element 18come spinning out from the unit, is obviated.

After reading the foregoing detailed description, it should be apparentthat the objects set forth at the outset of the specification have beensuccessfully achieved. Accordingly,

What is claimed is: 1. In an electric shoe polisher, the improvementcomprising: brush means releasably coupled with said shoe polisher;

a driving motor within said polisher operatively coupled to said brushmeans for operation thereof;

engaging means disposed at least partially within said polisher couplingsaid brush means with said polisher; and

a manually operable switch means including switch operating meansmovable to at least three positions nominally defined as first, secondand third positions;

said switch operating means in its first position being operative tode-activate said driving motor;

said switch operating means in its second position being operative -toactivate said driving motor and hence to operate said brush means;

said switch operating means in its third position being operative toactuate said engaging means to thereby release said brush means from itscoupling with said shoe polisher;

said brush means having an upstanding stem and said engaging means beingmovable into and out of releasable engagement with said stem.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said engaging means andsaid switch operating means are positively coupled by an actuatingelement whereby movement of said switch operating means to its thirdposition moves said engaging means to thus release the engagementbetween said engaging means and said brush stem.

3. An electric shoe polisher comprising, in combination:

a casing having a manually engageable portion and an internal cavity;

a driving motor disposed within said internal cavity and adapted to beconnected to a suitable power pp y;

a brush element having a base portion and an elongated upstanding stemportion;

a brush element drive means operatively connected to said driving motor;

a selectively operable and at least partially movable brush elementengagement means adapted to engage said brush element stem;

said brush element being insertable into said shoe polisher and thusinto engagement with said drive means and said engagement means;

multi-psoition switch means including switch operating means operativeto control said driving motor and said engagement means; and

connecting means coupling said switch operating means to said engagementmeans for moving said engagement means responsively to movement of saidswitch operating means;

said switch operating means being movable to one of its multiplepositions to operate said connecting means and to thereby cause aresponsive movement of said engagement means to release the same fromcontact with said brush element stem, thereby releasing said brushelement from said shoe polisher.

4. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 3 wherein said switchoperating means is movable to a driving motor energizing position, to adriving motor deenergizing position, and to a said connecting meansoperating position which also de-energizes said driving motor.

5. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 3 wherein saidengagement means includes a pivotally mounted lever having a portionthereof shaped for engagement with said brush element stem.

6. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 5 wherein saidengagement means further includes a cam abutment surface against whichan edge of said lever can abut, and a spring means normally biasing saidlever edge out of engagement with said abutment surface.

7. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 6 wherein said brushelement stem is provided with a peripheral groove and wherein saidspring means normally biases said lever shaped portion at leastpartially into said peripheral groove to thus prevent movement of saidbrush element axially of its stem.

8. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 7 wherein saidconnecting means couples said switch operating means to said leverwhereby movement of said switch operating means to its said one positionpivots said lever against the action of said spring means to move saidlever edge into engagement with said cam abutment surface and hence tosimultaneously move said lever shaped portion out of engagement withsaid stem peripheral groove, thereby releasing said brush element fromsaid shoe polisher.

9. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 7 wherein said brushstern above said peripheral groove is conically shaped, whereupon, whensaid brush element is inserted into said shoe polisher, said conicallyshaped stem portion engages said lever shaped portion and graduallypivots said lever against the action of said spring means until saidperipheral groove moves into alignment with said shaped portion at whichtime said spring means causes said lever to pivot oppositely until saidshaped portion becomes disposed within said per pheral groove.

10. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 3 wherein said brushelement base portion includes a crown portion having abutment face meansprojecting therefrom for engagement with said drive means.

11. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 10 wherein said drivemeans includes a drive hub having abutment face means projectingtherefrom and being adapted to receive said brush element crown portionwhen said crown portion abutment face means are aligned with said drivehub abutment face means.

12. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 11 wherein said drivehub is attached to a shaft which is rotatably driven by said drivingmotor, whereby, when said shaft rotational movement is imparted to saiddrive hub, said brush element will be rotated due to respectiveinterengagement between said drive hub and said crown portion abutmentface means.

13. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 12 wherein said shafthas a central bore therethrough for accommodation of said brush elementupstanding stem.

14. An electric shoe polisher as defined in claim 13 wherein said brushstem upper end projects above the upper end of said shaft and whereinsaid brush element engagement means is disposed for selective engagementwith said stem upper end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1956 Gerry 259l4/1962 Freedman et al. 1528 X

1. IN AN ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: BRUSH MEANSRELEASABLY COUPLED WITH SAID SHOE POLISHER; A DRIVING MOTOR WITHIN SAIDPOLISHER OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO SAID BRUSH MEANS FOR OPERATION THEREOF;ENGAGING MEANS DISPOSED AT LEAST PARTIALLY WITHIN SAID POLISHER COUPLINGSAID BRUSH MEANS WITH SAID POLISHER; AND A MANUALLY OPERABLE SWITCHMEANS INCLUDING SWITCH OPERATING MEANS MOVABLE TO AT LEAST THREEPOSITIONS NOMINALLY DEFINED AS FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD POSITONS; SAIDSWITCH OPERATING MEANS IN ITS FIRST POSITION BEING OPERATIVE TODE-ACTIVATE SAID DRIVING MOTOR; SAID SWITCH OPERATING MEANS IN ITSSECOND POSITION BEING OPERATIVE TO ACTIVATE SAID DRIVING MOTOR AND HENCETO OPERATE SAID BRUSH MEANS; SAID SWITCH OPERATING MEANS IN ITS THIRDPOSITION BEING OPERATIVE TO ACTUATE SAID ENGAGING MEANS TO THEREBYRELEASE SAID BRUSH MEANS FROM ITS COUPLING WITH SAID SHOE POLISHER; SAIDBRUSH MEANS HAVING AN UPSTANDING STEM AND SAID ENGAGING MEANS BEINGMOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STEM.